Wincanton

Wincanton sits on the northeast edge of the Blackmore Vale, and the River Cale runs through the town. The name combines the River Cale with an Old English word for an estate or settlement. The 2021 census counted 6,573 people in 2,915 households in the civil parish. It probably had a market in the medieval period, but the market and fair charter only arrived in 1556.

The town keeps some of that history in its buildings. The Dogs, also called The Old House, was built around 1650 and later reshaped inside by Nathaniel Ireson between 1740 and 1750. Wincanton Town Hall, the third on its site, was completed in 1878. The sports centre opened in 2001 with National Lottery funding.

Wincanton gives its name to Wincanton Racecourse, a National Hunt course, although the course itself is in the neighbouring parish of Charlton Musgrove. The Jockey Club runs the racing season from October to May, and the autumn and winter 2026 fixtures run from 25 October to a Boxing Day meeting.

Wincanton is north of the A303, one of the main routes between London and South West England. It lies 12 miles northeast of Yeovil and 10 miles northwest of Shaftesbury.